


The Children We Didn't Have

by thestarswhisperback



Series: The Children We Didn't Have [1]
Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Beetleb@bes if you even look at this fic i will stomp you to death with my hooves, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Miscarriage, Other, The Children We Didn't Have, Will add tags as the story progresses, also if you want your heart to be broken, beej just wants em to be happy, good luck soilder, you've come to the right place
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestarswhisperback/pseuds/thestarswhisperback
Summary: Barbara and Adam finally have their perfect afterlife. Then why was Barbara still wanting a child? Lucky for them, Beetlejuice has a few tricks up his sleeves.
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice/Adam Maitland, Beetlejuice/Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice/Barbara Maitland
Series: The Children We Didn't Have [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670746
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	1. The Children We Didn't Have

**Author's Note:**

> yeah so i can't summarize, but chapter two is comin soon and its gonna be a doozy >:)

She had two miscarriages before she died. The first baby was about three months along when it happened. Barbara and Adam were heartbroken, the couple grieved for weeks over the child they never got to see. Two months later, they tried again. But, just like those months prior, Barbara had yet another miscarriage. It broke her, losing a second one. She had Adam, a house, a job. The only thing missing from her perfect life was a baby. After that they decided to wait to try again. Why rush? It wasn’t like they were going to die tomorrow, was it?  
After the golden couple died, they met Beetlejuice, a horny quick-witted demon. He tried to get them to scare the Deetz’s out of their home. But, they had a daughter. Barbara thought she was far too young to lose a mom, far too young to take the path she was walking on. So, she did what any mother would do and tried to be there for her.  
Lydia is now 16, it’s a year later after the whole “Juicing” as the goth teen had dubbed it. Two ghosts, a demon, and the living family cohabitated happily together in the house. Issues between them all have been sorted out. Delia has gotten her license as a therapist and has been helping Beetlejuice through his past trauma, as well as Lydia’s. Hell, the demon has even entered Barbara and Adams' relationship. The three had been happy for the past 5 months. Everything was perfect. Barbara had her perfect afterlife. Then why did she feel so empty?

Barbara walked around the attic. Adam was helping Lydia with math homework, the Deetz’s were out on a date night, and Beetlejuice, well, he’s Beetlejuice. This meant it was mostly quiet besides Lydia’s occasional groans of frustration coming from the kitchen. She had the whole attic to herself.  
While looking around at the items that hadn’t been destroyed, Barbara saw the old antique crib Adam had been restoring. Beetlejuice and Lydia went to the dump and found it, scratched and dirty, but intact. Barbara smiled, tracing along the edges, feeling the old wood. This crib would have harbored her baby, if she was still alive.  
No, she didn’t need a child. She had Lydia! What are you thinking Barbara? But, then again, Lydia would be finishing high school and be off to college in a few years. Barbara was likely to not see her often, since they couldn’t leave the house. It’s like Beetlejuice had said, time moves differently when you’re dead.   
Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, the ghost sunk to her knees, clutching the top of the crib. She didn’t cry, she felt she couldn’t. The mother that never got to be just… sat. Thoughts swirled around in her head. She was dead. She could never have a child. She would be forced to watch Lydia go to college and live her life. She was stuck like this for eternity.   
The ghoul debated drawing a door. Maybe it was better if she just went to the Netherworld. While Barbara weighed her options, a familiar demon entered the room.  
“Babs! Look at this beetle I fou- uhhhh.”   
Beetlejuice stood in the doorway clutching a decently sized bug, staring at the ghost curled up in the corner.  
“Uh, bad time? Imma just, uh, head out-”  
“I’m never going to have a child, am I.”  
It was less of a question, and more of a statement. He stood there a bit confused, expecting Barbara to have this kind of conversation with Adam. After all, he was her husband.  
“Why are you wanting to have this talk with me? I thought Adam was the one who was on baby-makin’ duty?”  
Barbara chuckled sadly at the demon’s poor attempt at an excuse not to have this conversation. She looked up at him and motioned for him to come sit by her. Though Beetlejuice would never admit it, he was pretty soft for a demon, both physically and mentally.  
After he got comfortable, holding Barbara as she stared blankly at the crib, he sighed, suddenly becoming vaguely serious.  
“You wanted to ask me that because you think the answer has changed, don’t you?”  
“Ha”, Barbara’s eyes began to fill with tears, “That’s a ‘no’, isn’t it?”  
Still uncomfortable with emotions, the demon tried to slightly change the subject.  
“I mean, you have Lydia, don’t ya? I thought you all had a mother-daughter thing goin’ on there.”  
Barbara sat back and looked at Beetlejuice. They both knew the answer. Unless she died pregnant, which was impossible, there was no way she could have a child. She knew. She had read through the handbook after everything, with the slightest bit of hope.   
“I- I’m sorry, Babs. I know you and Adam really wanted a kid an’ all, but-”  
“No, it’s okay Beej, it’s not your fault ghosts can’t have kids.” She chuckled lightly, hoping to bring his spirits back up. Barbara didn’t want to dampen his mood with her own sad afterlife.  
Beetlejuice wasn’t fooled. He felt bad for the Maitlands, he truly did. The demon never saw the appeal of having your own hellspawn running about, but he did try to see it from their point of view. Something Lydia said about having empathy for others. 

But, there was a way. He had been thinking about it for awhile. Sure, it wouldn’t be their kid, but considering the Maitlands had already adopted Lydia, it wouldn’t be much different, would it? Just instead of a grieving 15 year old girl it would be… a younger child. A recently deceased child.  
See, in the Netherworld, all the deceased, younger breathers, went to a different place. Instead of a handbook, an actual guide comes to take them away. Kinda sad, ain’t it?  
Obviously there weren’t a bunch of cells that would have eventually become kids down there, they aren’t developed enough by then, but he did recall occasionally seeing young newborns that didn’t make it through the night. Maybe he could give one of them to the Maitlands to raise? After all, with Juno dead, he was the next in line to control that part of the Netherworld. Of course, not wanting the responsibility, Beetlejuice promptly gave the title to Miss Argentina, who was gracious enough to accept. 

Beetlejuice smiled softly at the ghost in his arms. He had a plan.   
“So, about that beetle I found earlier...”


	2. The Children We Didn't have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beetlejuice goes to retrieve the Maitlands new child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last super depressing chapter for awhile, don't worry ;)

“Are you sure you want to do this, Lawrence?”

Two figures stood, invisible, in the hospital room. It was quiet, all except for a baby’s occasional cries and a nurse checking her vitals. Sophia, was her name and to make the long, sad story short, there were complications with her birth. She had a little over 45 minutes left until Beetlejuice would take her to join the Maitlands. She would have been her parent’s fourth kid, but they couldn’t afford the treatment needed to help her survive, nor sustain it throughout her life. 

“I’m sure, Maria. They need this. Plus, it’s not like she’ll be raised by the pathetic excuses of caretakers Juno assigned.”  
Miss Argentina sighed, “They will be taken care of soon. We are still looking out for her. Juno is no ordinary demon. She might reform, Beetlejuice. And if she does… well, it won’t be very pretty for you.”

Concern grew in her voice as she watched the demon’s hair slowly shift from a dark green to that familiar shade of violet. Beetlejuice could almost hear Juno’s laugh and mockery in the back of his rotting mind. He knew she was right, and it worried him. But even if she did come back, he would fight. He would defend his family.  
The two sat in a quiet silence and waited. The last time somebody else entered the room, it was the doctor. He had a solemn look on his face. It was almost as if he knew little Sophia’s time was coming. Although he had given her a few days to live, once he saw her rapidly declining condition, he began to second guess. Her parents had left her those days ago. They couldn’t stay and wait for it. They didn’t want a call to say when she died, either. It made the demon and doctor’s blood boil. Neither of them understood how someone could do that to their child, albeit only a few weeks old. 

Dr. Gregory pulled a chair up to where the baby laid. Sophia had wires hooked up to her and looked like she was lying underneath an incubator. The breather just stared at the child. Beetlejuice began to wonder if doctors like him had the similar instinct to that of a demon, an instinct that told him when his patients were going to die.   
It was when she flatlined when Dr. Gregory finally got up. He simply shook his head and left the room. Breathers and their emotions, so confusing. Standing up, Beetlejuice went to retrieve her small, ghostly body. He inhaled sharply when he got close. This was the first time the demon had taken a close look at the small ghost. Man, was she little. Beetlejuice was afraid he would crush her between his hands.

Maria put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a smile that said, ‘Quit it, demon. You and her will be fine.’ 

“Well, I think you two should have some alone time before you take her to the Maitlands. Good luck.”  
With that the beauty queen went back through the door they had drawn to get here. 

Beetlejuice looked back at the infant and sighed. Slowly, and as gentle as he could possibly be, he reached out and picked her up. Awkwardly, he cradled Sophia’s tiny body against his. He wasn’t very sure what to do, much less how to hold a child. So, he just did what supported her best. The ghost baby turned a bit in his arms.

“So, guess it’s just us now, kid.” He touched the IV bruise against her arm, chuckling when she didn’t recoil immediately.   
“Heh, tough. I like it. You’ll survive well at the Deetz/Maitland household.”  
Beetlejuice nearly started bawling right then and there when she wrapped her tiny hand around his finger. He gave her a smile that not many have ever seen on the demon, as it was such a rarity. Looking towards the door, he smiled once again.  
“Let’s go meet mom and dad, eh?”


End file.
